Science, democracy, and the right to research
Science and Engineering Ethics 15 (3) (2009)
| Abstract | Debates over the politicization of science have led some to claim that scientists have or should have a “right to research.” This article examines the political meaning and implications of the right to research with respect to different historical conceptions of rights. The more common “liberal” view sees rights as protections against social and political interference. The “republican” view, in contrast, conceives rights as claims to civic membership. Building on the republican view of rights, this article conceives the right to research as embedding science more firmly and explicitly within society, rather than sheltering science from society. From this perspective, all citizens should enjoy a general right to free inquiry, but this right to inquiry does not necessarily encompass all scientific research. Because rights are most reliably protected when embedded within democratic culture and institutions, claims for a right to research should be considered in light of how the research in question contributes to democracy. By putting both research and rights in a social context, this article shows that the claim for a right to research is best understood, not as a guarantee for public support of science, but as a way to initiate public deliberation and debate about which sorts of inquiry deserve public support. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,672 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesDavid Hursh (2011). The Politics of Inquiry: Education Research and the "Culture of Science" (Review). Education and Culture 27 (1):73-77.
Sonja Grover (2003). Social Research in the Advancement of Children's Rights. Journal of Academic Ethics 1 (1):119-130.
Heidi Kjærnet (2010). At Arm's Length? Applied Social Science and its Sponsors. Journal of Academic Ethics 8 (3):161-169.
Zubin Master & David B. Resnik (forthcoming). Hype and Public Trust in Science. Science and Engineering Ethics.
Jeremy A. Sabloff (1999). Scientific Research, Museum Collections, and the Rights of Ownership. Science and Engineering Ethics 5 (3):347-354.
Elmar Doppelfeld (2002). Good Medical Research — the View of the CDBI/Council of Europe. Science and Engineering Ethics 8 (3).
Leonard Krimerman (2001). Participatory Action Research: Should Social Inquiry Be Conducted Democratically? Philosophy of the Social Sciences 31 (1):60-82.
David Guston (1993). The Essential Tension in Science and Democracy. Social Epistemology 7 (1):3 – 23.
J. Weinstein (2009). Democracy, Individual Rights and the Regulation of Science. Science and Engineering Ethics 15 (3).
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-05-18Total downloads21 ( #58,716 of 549,065 )Recent downloads (6 months)0How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
